Interdental splint



July 22, 1952 s, QRTl-l 2,604,093

INTERDENTAL SPLINT Filed Feb. 4, 1950 INVENTOR. Y PAUL s. ORTH AGE/VT Patented July 22, 1952 INTERDENTAL SPLINT Paul siorth, San Diego, Calif.

Application February 4, 1950, Serial No. 142,450

4 Claims.

My invention relates to an inter-dental splint, more particularly for use in holding a person's dentures together in order to prevent mouth breathing, and the objects of my invention are:

First, to provide an inter-dental splint of this class which helps to maintain proper nasal breathing habits;

Second, to provide an inter-dental splint of this class which is very simple and easy to connect to dentures for holding the upper and lower dentures together, thereby maintaining the mouth in closed position;

Third, to provide an inter-dental splint of this class which does not obstruct any normal activities of the tongue in the mouth when in operation;

Fourth, to provide an inter-dental splint of this class which helps maintain a persons mouth closed during sleep, whereby mouth breathing does not cause the mouth to become dry and uncomfortable Fifth, to provide an inter-dental splint of this class which is easy to install and remove and maintain in sanitary condition; and

Sixth, to provide an inter-dental splint of this class which is very simple and economical of construction, efiicient in operation and which will not readily deteriorate or get out of order.

With these and other objects in view, as will appear hereinafter, my invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions, as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference thereon forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top or plan view of my inter-dental splinti Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof, shown in connection with a pair of dentures; Fig. 3 is a sectional view, taken from the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a sectional view, taken from the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts and portions throughout the several views of the drawings.

In the construction of my inter-dental splint, I have provided a bridge portion l, which extends across the convex portion of one of the dentures, either the upper or the lower dentures, as desired, and connected to each opposite end of this bridge I are the teeth-engaging finger portions la, which engage the upper teeth and the teeth-engaging portions lb, which engage the lower teeth. These fingers la and lb are resilient 2 and frictionally engage the teeth for interlocking the dentures and preventing mouth opening without conscious effort.

It will be here noted that the bridge I is integral with the fingers la and lb, substantially at the mating plane of the dentures to which the fingers la and lb are engaged.

The operation of my inter-dental splint is substantially as follows:

The fingers lb or the fingers la, whichever is desired, may be engaged with the respective teeth to which they are fitted. The other denture may be moved into close proximity therewith, engaging the closed resilient fingers, whereby the resilient fingers la and lb frictionally engage both dentures and hold thesame together, preventing the patient from opening his mouth during sleep. 7

Thus, the patient places my inter-dental splint in connection with his dentures before going to bed at night, and removes the same when he arises in the morning. During sleep, the wearer of my inter-dental splint remains in normal position to that as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, wherein the upper and lower dentures are contiguous with each other, and the frictional force of the fingers la and lb prevents the wearer from unconsciously separating his dentures and disengaging the same from said fingers Ia and lb. Thus, proper nasal breathing habits are promoted, and the wearer does not have a tendency to breathe through his mouth and cause the interior thereof to become dry and uncomfortable.

It will be seen that each patient provided with one of my inter-dental splints must be particularly fitted therewith, in accordance with the particular shape and relationship of hi teeth.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions, I do not wish to be limited to this particular construction, combination and arrangement, but desire to include in the scope of my invention the construction, combination and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Paten is:

1. In an inter-dental splint, bifurcated fingers comprising clasp means for concurrently frictionally engaging upper and lower opposed teeth and holding the same together.

2. In an inter-dental splint, bifurcated slightly resilient fingers comprising clasp means for concurrently frictionally engaging upper and lower 7 3 teeth and holding the same together, whereby normal nasal breathing habits are promoted.

3. In an inter-dental splint, a bridge adapted to extend across a patients mouth-cavity, clip means on each end of said bridge frictionally engageable with opposed upper and lower teeth of the wearer, whereby the upper and lower teeth of the wearer are maintained in contiguous relationshipito each other. 7 V

4. In an inter-dental splint, a bridge adapted to extend across a patients mouth cavity in the palatal portion thereof, opposed bifurcated slightly resilient fingers arranged in upper and lower pairs to comprise clips on each end of said bridge, said Clips being frictionallyand concurrently engageable with upper and lower teeth of the wearer, whereby the upper and lower teeth of the wearer are maintained in contiguous relationship to each other.

PAUL S. ORTH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES P T N S! 

